UConn, In Loss To BU, Gets Taste Of Hockey East Play

BOSTON — The UConn hockey team's goal Sunday, as it will be for years, was to come to state-of-the-art Agganis Arena and defeat Boston University.

That didn't happen. The Huskies lost 4-1 in the first game against their future Hockey East opponent before a crowd of 3,755.

UConn can at least take partial satisfaction in the way this game played out. For a team that awards just five scholarships, the Huskies represented themselves well against a traditional powerhouse. UConn allowed three goals in the second period but was the better team in the third, putting 10 shots on net to BU's six.

Senior captain Brant Harris, in his second game back after missing the first six with a knee injury, scored 3:52 into the third, and Huskies buzzed around the net looking for a second goal. Overall, UConn was outshot 41-29.

"The second period got away from us and we were deflated a little," coach Mike Cavanaugh said. "Brant's goal got us going. It really got our bench going. I was proud of the way we responded. BU didn't have the territorial edge they had in the first two periods."

Danny O'Regan gave BU a 1-0 lead during the first shift of the second period, pushing the puck past Matt Grogan while falling, and Nick Roberto added another goal 5:03 later on a shot from the right. Kevin Duane's goal with 5:16 left in the second made it 3-0 for BU (5-6).

"We certainly got a much needed win," said BU coach David Quinn, whose team was coming off a 7-0 loss at Maine. "I really liked our first 40 minutes. Then they get a goal, we were on our heels a little and it we made it a little squirrelly with the penalties."

UConn pulled Grogan, who made 37 saves, with 2:30 remaining. With two Terriers in the penalty box, the Huskies had a 6-on-3 advantage for a short time. Robbie Baillargeon scored on an empty net after the penalties had expired.

"There aren't moral victories," Harris said. "We're not happy with the result and there are things to improve on."

Still, the Huskies, who have failed to score on their last nine power plays, skated well down the stretch – despite injuries to Jordan Sims and Tyler Cooke -- and gained important experience for players who will return for Hockey East membership next season. UConn is now 17-95-6 all-time against Hockey East teams. The only Hockey East team UConn has never faced is Boston College, who the Huskies will play in their first conference game next season in Hartford.

Sunday also marked a return to Boston for Cavanaugh, who spent 18 seasons as an assistant at BC. Cavanaugh and Quinn, the longtime BU assistant who took over this season for another legend, Jack Parker, have been friends for 20 years, dating to when Cavanaugh was an assistant at Dartmouth and Quinn an assistant at Nebraska-Omaha. This was also a homecoming for UConn assistant Joe Pereira, who won a national title with BU in 2009 and was the Terriers captain as a senior in 2011.

"We all know when UConn does something they do it right," Quinn said. "To see the commitment they have made to [hockey], hiring a guy like Mike Cavanaugh shows how serious they are."